Topper Headon

Alongside Sex Pistol Paul Cook, Topper Headon was the driving force of punk and an unlikely choice for The Clash with his background in soul and jazz. But he soon turned out to be the band’s secret weapon, helping them to assimilate all sorts of styles, from funk and reggae to jazz and rockabilly.

His drumming pushed the band to new impressive heights, while his hi-hat work and driving snare-kick patterns are simply masterful.

Essential downloads:

The Clash: Rock The Casbah; Train In Vain; Rudie Can’t FailThe Sex Pistols: Holidays In The Sun; Anarchy In The UK